Johnny Depp Takes to the Dark Shadows

Johnny Depp can do no wrong, and he seems to bring his A-game to just about any project he tackles. His latest is a feature-film adaptation of the ’60s vampire soap “Dark Shadows”, a subject Depp has been obsessed with since he was a child, according to Variety. Vampires seem to be on a resurgence of late, with a number of big names (like Ridley Scott, for one) grabbing their share of the re-emerging genre. With Depp’s name attached to the movie, not just as producer but star, is there any doubt “Dark Shadows” will bank at the box office? And if not, there’s always a “Pirates” 4…

Dark Shadows is a Gothic television soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966 to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis, who tells of a dream he had in which a girl takes a long train ride to visit a large mansion. The story “bible”, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was considered daring (and unprecedented in daytime television) when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when, a year into its run, vampire Barnabas Collins, played by Jonathan Frid, appeared. In addition to vampires, Dark Shadows featured werewolves, ghosts, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, both into the past and into the future, and a parallel universe.

There was an attempt to revive the TV series in the early ’90s on network TV with Ben Cross and Joanna Going, but that didn’t go anywhere.